Michio Nishizawa(西澤 道夫
?, September 1, 1921-December 18, 1977)
was a star player in Nippon Professional
Baseball. He debuted with Nagoya at the age of 15 in 1936, the youngest
player ever in the history of pro Yakyu. He achieved early fame as a pitcher, developing into a
twenty game winner by 1939. His most memorable pitching feats
occurred in 1942. On May 24 of that year, Nishizawa pitched a
remarkable twenty-eight complete innings, totalling 311 pitches in
a 4-4 tie against the Taiyō Whales at Korakuen
Stadium. Later that year, he tossed his first and only no-hitter, accomplishing
the feat against the Hankyu team. Despite a career Earned Run Average of 2.22, the heavy
workload combined with injuries sustained during two years of
service in World War
II forced him to switch positions to first base, and later
the outfield. After early
struggles with the bat, Nishizawa developed into a feared hitter.
He swatted a then league record 46 home runs in 1950. His
best season came in 1952, when he led the league in both batting average
and runs batted in. Two years later, Nishizawa
led the Dragons to the 1954 Central League title, breaking an eight
year run by the Yomiuri Giants. He played his final game
in 1958, but went on to manage Chunichi. The Dragons compiled a
253-217-10 record in Nishizawa's four seasons at the helm
(1964-1967). His number 15 jersey is one of only two retired by the
team. He became one of Japan's
most beloved athletes, and was elected to the Japanese Baseball Hall of
Fame in 1977 despite the lackluster state of the Chunichi
Dragons throughout much of his career.